Balangir unhappy over reduced funds for Khudha Balangir rail line

BALANGIR: Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s railway budget has displeased many in Balangir, particularly members of the District Railway Users’ Association that dubbed the budget a tricky one. Reason: She has sanctioned `60 crore Khurda-Balangir railway project against last year’s `120 crore.

Interestingly, only `20 crore out of the total allocation was utilized last year. The remaining Rs 100 crore was reportedly returned due to non-utilization.

“Mamatadi has skillfully halved last year’s return amount and allocated only `60 crore. This is a shame for the people of Orissa,” said president of the railway users’ association Nilamani Mishra. Speaking on the returned amount, he explained: “Last year, the amount was returned only because the approval for the 36-112 km railway line came only in January and the money couldn’t be utilized by then. “For this, the state government is to be blamed. If the unused money is returned, the fate of the project is sure to be doomed,” Mishra added.

Incidentally, the association had demanded Rs 400 crore this year for the project.

On the other hand, state youth Congress president Pradip Majhi is of the opinion: “`60 crore is not a bad at all.” He attributed the return of funds to the neglect of the government. “The project has been given due attention. What is the point of getting large sums as fund if the government is unable to use it within the stipulated time frame,” Majhi opined.

The project is touted to be a catalyst for economic development since the rail line connects western orissa with the eastern. The first survey of the project had been conducted in 1945 by the Bengal-Nagpur railway division. The planning commission approved the project finally in 1993 and it received presidential consent in 1994, with an estimated cost for the project being `383 crores. Now, the project cost has soared to `1,100 crore. Reports say, this railway line will facilitate transporting 4.5 million tonnes of goods generating a revenue of `160 crore per annum.

I fail to understand how state govt. is to blame for non utilisation. Land for 0-36km is with Railways long back. Even for the 36-112km, 506.61 acres of land is with Railways. But for the last three(3) years Railway Board is not sanctioning the estimate for 36-112km. Railway construction is done by Construction Organisation of Railways, not by any agency of state govt. Railways contemplated handing over this project to Rail Vikas Nigam so that money is not provided from the budget. They ordered a bankability study last year(see East Coast Railway website). But there was stiff resistance from Orissa Govt. and MPs given the experience with other projects. But we keep quarreling without knowing the facts. There is complete non cooperation between Railways and West Bengal govt. How come Railway projects are progressing at such a fast pace in that state? Seemingly higher allocation and non utilisation is part of the story of Railways in Orissa every year. State govt. has nothing to do with this. Read the Pink Books of zonal railways for the last three years, if not more. You will get an answer.